VM 007 – Create a Brand Identity Sheet for Your Audio Fiction Podcast

Person's hand holding a can of Pepsi soda, with its brand logo showing on the front.
Image Description: Person’s hand holding a can of Pepsi soda, with its brand logo showing on the front.

Let’s talk about podcast’s brand identity. We’ve talked about pitching an idea for a podcast, the best practices for writing a show, and even how to set up a casting call for your upcoming season. But how do we market a podcast from the very beginning?

A brand identity sheet is the first step toward figuring out how to market your podcast to the community, whether you’re talking to an audience online or in person.

What is the Brand Identity Sheet?

A brand identity sheet is a digital rulebook on how to communicate your podcast to the public. Think of it as an instruction manual with all of the information that you need about the tone, audience, and even the colors that represent your show.

While your podcast’s pitch focuses on the “elevator pitch” of your show, your brand identity helps your team figure out how to present the show to your target audience.

Why do we need it?

Your brand’s identity is the perception that viewers develop after interacting with your production team or podcast. The main components of your brand (name, logo, tone, tagline, typeface) reflect your show’s philosophy (your why) and its voice.

Let me tell you: Marketing a podcast isn’t easy. Therefore, having some guidance on consistent communication of your show can help create clarity when sharing on social media, email, and even at conferences with other showrunners and podcast lovers.

When do we start using it?

Work on the Brand Identity Sheet during the Development phase of your first season. By then, most showrunners have an idea of what they want their show to represent from a brand standpoint. I strongly recommend working on the Brand Identity Sheet before working on any marketing material or social media content. Set yourself up for success from the very beginning!

An important thing to remember is that you may not have all of the information upfront, and that’s okay! The purpose of this sheet is to help guide you toward creating things like your podcast’s colors and logo. Once you have everything set, then you can continue to use the sheet with your team to create centralized messaging of your show.

Where can we find a Brand Identity Sheet?

Sound Escape Productions has a Brand Identity worksheet available for free, created by myself with the help of the Collective, and customized for audio fiction podcasts. You can download a copy by clicking the button below.

Looking for some examples on a brand identity sheet for audio fiction podcasts? Check out Someone Dies In Your Elevator’s brand and how it’s transformed through this worksheet!